It’s that time of year again. Parents are scrambling to get kids back into school routines, and holiday planning is stacked on top of it. Who’s hosting? Who is hosting us? How many people are coming? How can we make Rosh Hashanah meaningful and not overwhelming?

After many years in Jewish education and communal work, I’ve learned one question has to come before all the others.

Are our children safe?

Not “are they having fun?” Not “did everyone have a meaningful holiday?” Not even “did everything go smoothly?” Safe. Full stop. 

I learned this lesson years ago in summer camp when I was in a staff training exercise as a counselor and put safety as a number 2 priority, followed by I honestly do not even remember what I placed as number 1. I remember feeling an overwhelming sense of shame that I had prioritized anything over safety, and that lesson that safety is never number 2 was deeply ingrained in me. When you’re responsible for hundreds of children, safety can’t be something you think about after you’ve planned the fun or transformative Jewish educational immersive experience. You........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)